Good morning and welcome to the thrilling 16th edition of The Cricket Diaries: Team India Edition!

Today, we unfold the riveting tale of India's resounding victory in the IND vs ENG 3rd Test.

1. India's Commanding Start on Day 4:

The day began on a positive note for India as both overnight batsmen played cautiously, steering the team to a commanding position. Shubman Gill showcased his class but fell just short of a magnificent century by a mere 9 runs, fell to a run-out in a mix-up with Kuldeep Yadav. Shortly after, Kuldeep Yadav also departed. By this point, India had already built a lead of over 380 uns.

2. Jaiswal's Heroic Double Hundred:

Following the dismissals of Gill and Kuldeep, Jaiswal, despite having retired hurt earlier, returned to the crease alongside Sarfaraz Khan. Jaiswal's resilience and aggressive batting style saw him smash English bowlers, securing a fabulous double hundred. Sarfaraz complemented the display with aggressive strokes, notching up back-to-back fifties in his debut test match. The duo propelled India's lead to a formidable 556 runs, prompting India to declare the innings, setting a target of 557 for England.

3. England's Struggle Against Indian Spin:

Facing the daunting target, England found themselves in uncharted territory, struggling against India's spin attack. The "BAZBALL" era seemed distant as England's top-order collapsed early, with Ben Duckett run out at 15 runs of the England innings and Zak Crawley departing after adding only 11 runs to England’s total. Ravindra Jadeja, the local hero, proved to be the nemesis for England, claiming five crucial wickets. Despite some resistance from the tailenders, England succumbed to a massive 434-run defeat in Rajkot.

India's comprehensive triumph is not only about leading the series by 2-1 but also about the team's dominance on home soil.

Here are the milestones and records from the 3rd Test.

• Biggest Test win for India by runs. (434 runs)

• 2nd Biggest Defeat for England by runs. (434 runs)

• For the 2nd time, Ravindra Jadeja scored a century and took a 5-fer for India. (112 runs and 5 wickets)

• For the 3rd time, India scored 400+ runs in each innings of a Test match. (445 and 430)

• India scored the most number of sixes by a team in a series. (48*)

• Jaiswal scored the most runs by a left-handed batter in a Test series for India. (545)

• India scored the most number of sixes in a single Test match. (28)

• India scored the most number of sixes in one innings of a Test match. (18)

• Yashasvi Jaiswal scored the joint-most number of sixes by a batsman in a Test innings. (12)

• Yashasvi Jaiswal became only the 2nd Indian after Virat Kohli to score 2 double-hundreds in a Test series.

• Yashasvi Jaiswal became the 3rd Indian to score back-to-back double-hundreds in consecutive test matches. Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli are the other two.

This Test match will be memorable for a long time to the Indian fans just because of the character the team has shown.

The 4th Test match will start on 23rd February at Ranchi. It will be interesting to see how England comes back to the series.

Stay tuned for more insights and exciting updates in the upcoming editions of The Cricket Diaries.

Best Regards,

Ashutosh Nayak,

Newsletter Editor,

The Cricket Diaries: Team India Edition